Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the California Democrat who's about to take the reins as chairwoman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, doesn't appear to be too happy with Leon Panetta's prospective appointment to head the CIA.
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Jon Soltz: New CIA Chief Must Be Anti-Torture
Leon Panetta certainly understands intelligence. But, most importantly, he understands the importance of our intelligence apparatus operating on the moral, ethical, and legal high ground.
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Art Brodsky: Fuss Over Panetta Should Remind Hill Dems: It's Not About You
Obama comes into office with a clear election mandate, and the last thing he needs is the public view of a bunch of squabbling Democrats (see: Burris, Roland) doing the GOP's work for it.
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John McQuaid: What's Wrong with Panetta?
I don't quite understand why Feinstein and Rockefeller are objecting to Obama's pick, Leon Panetta. As objections go, theirs are weak. There is no reason that the CIA director has to be an intelligence expert.
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Phil Trounstine: Sorry Dianne: Panetta's a Great Choice for CIA Director
Having frozen Panetta out of the California governor's race in 1998 by not deciding whether to run until he had no chance of lining up financial backing, now would be a good time to stand aside and let him rise to the occasion.
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Jane Hamsher: Obama's Savvy Choice Of Panetta Shakes Up Stagnant Senate
If there is a better place for someone to start shaking up Washington, I can't think of a better place for Obama to begin than with those currently in high caterwaul about Panetta's appointment.
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RJ Eskow: Feinstein/Panetta: Senatorial Prerogative, "Intelligence Professionalism," and Political Leadership of the CIA
Panetta opponents warn us that insiders will run circles around him. They're forgetting about the man to whom Mr. Panetta will report.
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William Bradley: CIA: Parsing The Panetta Pick
To say Panetta is a Clinton retread is to ignore his actual background. He comes out of a tradition which is almost forgotten today, that of the liberal Republican.
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Kristen Breitweiser: Regarding Panetta: Let's Not Forget About Gates
Placing an inexperienced person like Leon Panetta at CIA for his clean hands and "managerial expertise" will cost lives on the day of the next domestic terrorist attack.
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Tom D'Antoni: The Bad Democrats Begin to Surface
The next time you find yourself getting pissed off at Obama, say these words out loud,"George Bush."
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Frank Naif: If You Think Panetta's Wrong For CIA, You Might Be Part Of The Problem
If the Obama administration is serious about fixing US intelligence, there is a compelling logic to putting Panetta in charge at CIA.
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Dan Glickman: Leon Panetta Right Choice for CIA
Leon Panetta is a patriot, a veteran, and a consensus builder, and he will lead the CIA forthrightly and in full respect for the law and the Constitution. I frankly cannot think of a better choice.
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Gordon Goldstein: Lessons of Obama's First Cabinet Controversy
Despite a nearly flawless transition period of astute, substantive and widely praised cabinet appointments, the Obama administration has unintentionally provoked its first controversy.
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Keith Thomson: What Spies Think of Panetta
I conducted a poll about what spies thought of the Panetta choice. The results: "Obama was wise" to choose someone out of the torture loop to run the CIA. But there's a problem.
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Frank Naif: Whining CIA Officials, Leon Panetta, and Einstein's Definition of Insanity
The CIA's spokesman came down out of his tree to let us know the CIA is not happy that everyone thinks it's an agency that could use some fixing by the likes of Leon Panetta.
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Geri Spieler: CIA: Thinking Outside The Fraternity
We've been hearing a lot about change lately -- but the question here was about changing an organization like the CIA, with its special functions and rules and strong internal cohesiveness.
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William Bradley: CIA: The Panetta Pick and the Feinstein Factor
Feinstein's call for the appointment of a CIA director who can be linked to the practices Obama has made clear must end demonstrates how out of touch she is on intelligence.
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More information on Richard Blum, Feinstein's defense contractor husband and the millions she helped him make off the Iraq war she voted for.
http://www.metroactive.com/feinstein/blum.html
Presidential appointees are alter egos of the President. So, President Obama should be given the right to choose whoever he thinks will serve his agenda. He doesn't have to make anybody happy, least of all Sen. Feinstein. After all, if any appointee fails in his job, the responsibility for it is Obama's, not anybody else's.
Assuming Pres. Obama appointed somebody who is not his best choice but who makes Feinstein happy. If that person fails, would Feinstein take responsibility for it?
Guess what? Everyone I know feels very unhappy with Diane Feinstein. Over the years, she has tilted farther and farther to the right, and since she was so pleased to make Alito a Supreme Court Justice, MANY Californians are looking forward to the day Miz Feinstein retires...we have some talented people in our state, such as the Mayors of Los Angeles or San Francisco, who would do far better.
Lets hope she gets the hint and retires pretty soon.
If Feinstein is against it it must be the right pick. Panetta was a good Congressman for us here in California and a good Chief of Staff for Clinton. I can not say that about Senator Feinstein. I say lets support PE Obama.
It's my understanding that it is the duty of the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA to nominate his cabinet and for the Senate to confirm the nomination or find evidence that the person is some how unqualified for the position. She may not like it, who cares she's not the President.
Feinstein is right. What a horrible choice for a CIA.
why is she a Dem. She is in reality a neocon hawk
What an irony :-)
She is supposed to be the chairwoman of the Intelligence committee and she could not gather the intelligence to find out who would be CIA director? If you cannot even find out who will be the next CIA director, how are you going to find out what Bin Laden is planning?
As chairperson and ranking member of the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee (MILCON) from 2001 through the end of 2005, Feinstein supervised the appropriation of billions of dollars a year for specific military construction projects. Two defense contractors whose interests were largely controlled by her husband, financier Richard C. Blum, benefited from decisions made by Feinstein as leader of this powerful subcommittee.
Thank you for the info. I'm through with Feinstein.
http://www.metroactive.com/metro/03.21.07/dianne-feinstein-resigns-0712.html
This link has the entire series of stories that brought her down. Read it!
The choice of an outsider to run the CIA is a ploy by the Obama Admin so they can expose and prosecute those who commited torture. Senator F. is terrified because she was aware of everything the Bush Admin was doing. She and others where "read" into the Bush programs. Senator Rockefeller tried to cover his deeds by writing a letter questioning the torture. Given the problem with this agency an outsider is the only person for the job right now...or do we want another chicken guarding the hen house? Diane is my senator. I voted for her twice holding my nose...but did not vote for or Rep Harman CA in the last election. I will say though that Fienstien's office always reply to emails.
Part 1
Feinstein and others should have had enough fortitude to admit their complicity and to say that they were wrong. The legislation passed and policies pushed by the Bush administration and approved by key members of congress who allowed the torture to happen was under duress. Yes, I am one of those people who believes that the event in NY was an inside job done with much planning and deliberation. The fact remains that Is real warned us 59 different times that it was going to happen. They had an office there and broke the lease to get out. When do we not listen to Is real with their superior intelligence? The Bush family and the family of a certain very rich oil nation are very close. Tenet was swimming in a prince"s pool, saying "they sold me out." Most of the people on the flight came from the country that a senator on the commission said that this country was critical in helping the people do what they did. It is in the report, but black ed out. This country also pays for the schools whose graduates do the da mage
Part 1
Feinstein and others should have had enough fortitude to admit their complicity and to say that they were wrong. The legislation passed and policies pushed by the Bush administration and approved by key members of congress who allowed the t word to happen was under duress. Yes, I am one of those people who believes that the event in NY was an inside job done with much planning and deliberation. The fact remains that Is real warned us 59 different times that it was going to happen. They had an office there and broke the lease to get out. When do we not listen to Is real with their superior intelligence? The Bush family and the family of a certain very rich oil nation are very close. Tenet was swimming in a prince"s pool, saying "they sold me out." Most of the people in the vehicles that go through the air came from the country that a senator on the commission said was critical in helping the people do what they did. It is in the report, but black ed out. This country also pays for the schools whose graduates do the da mage
Part 2
There was a third building that fell that day. The building that held a C I A headquarters fell even though it was not touched. They said it was because of fir e that the building fell despite the fact that no metal sky scraper has ever fallen in history for this reason. There is video. After the vehicles in the air came down, ex pro sieves can be seen going off in the third building in the same manner as they use to bring down buildings with imp lose ion. I found it strange that this incompetent administration was somehow able to come out with massive legislation so soon after the event. I also found it strange that all the people who got special deliveries in the mail were all foes of Bush and could have hurt him. Has anybody heard about six or seven scientists who worked in the government l a b s where the substance was made who have suddenly met their maker? So, I think this legislature who agreed to do things under duress should be forgiven, but I cannot forgive that they have not come out with this and apologized and tried to bring Bushco. to justice.
I will provide links upon request. Nice to talk to somebody who lives so close by, CooldudeNvenice.
Feinstein already picks a fight. I suspect she will lose. Such a shame for her to watch some of those long-standing, murky connections broken. To whom is she beholden?
Her israeli fellow-citizens.
The last time we checked Feinstein was not the president elect and the choice was not hers. She should consider being quiet and watching, she might learn something.
Diane Feinstein had the opportunity to exercise her intelligence acumen, but she swallowed the administration's lies, falsified intelligence and fabricated evidence instead.
Lived in CA for decades. Feinstein is nothing like the person she was when elected to office. I now cannot stand her and I originally supported her. If she opposes this pick, Panetta has to be a very good choice.
I think Panetta is a ridiculous pick and I am not sure he will be confirmed, but I have been really impressed with almost all of his cabinet choices, so I'll cut him some slack on this one.
Panetta is my favorite.
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Washington Independent | January 5, 2009 04:38 PM